Wednesday 9th March is No Smoking Day and many of the 66% of smokers who say they're desperate to quit will be having a go at kicking the habit. As an ex-smoker myself I know how hard it can be but also how rewarding giving up is too, so I wish everyone intending to make that particular Wednesday the last day they smoke the very best of luck.
Smoking, as we know, carries huge health risks (I saw in the inside of a lung ward this summer due to a relative being ill and it was pretty terrifying) but it also has a hugely detrimental affect on your appearance too. As well the smell and nicotene fingers - never a good look! - it can play havoc with your skin.
Not only does drawing on cigarettes create wrinkles around the mouth, studies have shown that smokers have a higher concentration of an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase 1 in their blood. This enzyme destroys the skin’s collagen and that means - you guessed it - more wrinkles!
It's bad for your bonce too. In fact, according to a study by Harvard School of Public Health in America, smoking not only increases levels of the hormones that trigger hair loss, it also constricts the tiny blood vessels that supply the scalp, quite literally starving your hair of nutrients.
So if you want to live longer - and look younger - it might be time to say goodbye to the smokes. For more advice go to www.nosmokingday.org.uk
Lee, Mankind Grooming Ed
